Project Name: “Breaking the Cycle: Empowering Black Newcomer Families to Prevent Gender-Based
Violence”
Grant Stream: Based on the Prevention of Family Violence and Abuse grant guidelines, the most
appropriate grant stream for Youth & Youth Adults Fulfillment Center (YYAFC)’s project is:
✅ Targeted Prevention Initiatives
This stream focuses on directly addressing risks and protective factors for family violence.
It supports the creation or expansion of culturally responsive family violence prevention
initiatives targeting priority populations, such as Black newcomer families.
The stream also prioritizes promoting healthy relationships, consent, and proactive actions to
prevent violence before it occurs.
Project Term: The guidelines do not explicitly specify the exact duration for projects under this grant.
However, based on similar government-funded programs:
Recommended Project Term: March 15 th , 2025, to March 31 st , 2026
Why?
o Long enough to implement impactful primary prevention strategies (e.g., community
education, conflict resolution programs, family workshops).
o Provides time to engage men, boys, and families in sustained behavior change.
o Allows for collaboration with community partners to develop culturally relevant
interventions.
Project Description and Objectives:
Project Overview: “Breaking the Cycle: Empowering Black Newcomer Families to Prevent Gender-Based
Violence”
Project Description:
This project is a community-driven, culturally responsive prevention initiative designed to address family
violence and gender-based violence (GBV) among Black newcomer families in Alberta. Through a
combination of education, conflict resolution training, and community engagement, the project seeks to
transform harmful social norms, strengthen protective factors, and promote healthy, nonviolent
relationships. The initiative will focus on preventing GBV before it occurs by engaging families, men,
boys, and community leaders in awareness-building, skill development, and culturally informed support
services.
Project Objectives:
This initiative is designed in such a way to help in addressing root causes, engaging in underserved
communities, and fostering safer, more inclusive spaces for families in Edmonton through the following
objectives:
Increase Awareness & Knowledge: Provide culturally tailored GBV prevention education for
Black newcomer families, equipping them with knowledge on gender equity, healthy
relationships, and consent.
Strengthen Protective Factors: Empower men, boys, and families with nonviolent
communication, conflict resolution, and emotional regulation skills to reduce the risk of
violence.
Transform Social Norms: Challenge harmful beliefs and cultural practices that sustain family
violence by engaging faith leaders, community elders, and youth ambassadors in open
discussions and awareness campaigns.
Foster Community-Led Support Networks: Build peer mentorship and support groups for Black
newcomer families to promote resilience, safety, and proactive GBV prevention strategies.
Collaborate for Systemic Change: Work with settlement agencies, service providers, and local
organizations to ensure a sustained, community-based approach to family violence prevention.
- What gaps/barriers in family violence prevention will this project address
gap/barriers? What evidence or information supports your identification of the
gaps/barriers.
“Breaking the Cycle” aims to address specific gaps and barriers in family violence prevention among
Black newcomer families in Edmonton.
Identified Gaps and Barriers:
Cultural and Linguistic Barriers: Many Black newcomer families face challenges in accessing
support services due to cultural differences and language barriers. These obstacles can lead to
misunderstandings and reluctance to seek help.
Lack of Culturally Relevant Services: Existing family violence prevention programs often do not
account for the unique cultural contexts of African, Arabs, Caribbean, and Black communities,
resulting in services that may not resonate with or effectively support these populations.
Social Isolation and Limited Support Networks: Newcomer families may experience social
isolation due to the absence of extended family and familiar community structures, increasing
vulnerability to family violence and reducing opportunities for support.
Stigma and Fear of Disclosure: Concerns about stigma, shame, and potential repercussions
within tight-knit communities can deter individuals from disclosing experiences of intimate
partner violence or seeking assistance.
Supporting Evidence:
A report by the Africa Centre highlights that many intimate partner violence intervention and
prevention programs narrowly focus on women, neglecting the broader context of family,
community, and social marginalization, which is crucial for African, Arabs, Caribbean, and Black
communities in Alberta.
Research indicates that visible minorities who are new immigrant and refugee seniors have
higher rates of social isolation than non-minority groups, further complicating their access to
support services.
A qualitative metasynthesis found that Black, Asian, minority ethnic, and immigrant women face
significant barriers to help-seeking due to systemic racism, cultural exclusion, and lack of
culturally competent services, exacerbating feelings of fear and isolation.
Project’s Approach to Addressing These Gaps:
Culturally Tailored Education: Develop and deliver workshops that respect and incorporate
cultural values, ensuring content is accessible and relevant to Black newcomer families.
Community Engagement: Collaborate with community leaders and members to foster trust,
reduce stigma, and encourage open discussions about gender-based violence.
Building Support Networks: Establish peer support groups to mitigate social isolation and
provide safe spaces for sharing experiences and resources.
Enhancing Service Accessibility: Work with service providers to improve cultural competence,
ensuring services are welcoming and effective for Black newcomer families.
By addressing these identified gaps and barriers, the project aims to empower Black newcomer families,
enhance their resilience, and prevent gender-based violence within the community.
- How will the project support family violence primary prevention efforts? Is there
evidence of promising practice for the primary prevention or design? If yes, please
provide details.
The “Breaking the Cycle” project aligns with primary prevention efforts by addressing the root causes of
family violence before it occurs. This is achieved through a proactive, community-centered, and
culturally relevant approach focused on education, skill-building, and social transformation.
Key Primary Prevention Strategies in the Project:
- Culturally Responsive Education & Awareness
o Provide trauma-informed, culturally tailored workshops on healthy relationships,
consent, and gender equity for Black newcomer families, men, and boys.
o Equip families with knowledge on the dynamics of gender-based violence (GBV), power
imbalances, and nonviolent conflict resolution. - Engagement of Men and Boys as Allies
o Train young men and fathers in positive masculinity and bystander intervention to
challenge harmful norms that perpetuate family violence.
o Promote peer-led discussions to encourage community accountability in preventing
GBV.
- Social Norms Change & Community-Led Interventions
o Facilitate community dialogues and storytelling sessions to deconstruct stigma
surrounding gender roles, domestic violence, and victim-blaming.
o Engage faith leaders, elders, and cultural ambassadors to advocate for nonviolence and
gender equity within community structures. - Building Social Support & Protective Factors
o Establish peer mentorship networks for women, men, and youth to enhance resilience,
support survivors, and reduce social isolation.
o Train service providers and frontline workers to deliver culturally competent and
accessible GBV prevention resources for Black newcomer families. - Collaboration with Community Organizations
o Partner with local immigrant-serving agencies, mental health organizations, and
advocacy groups to strengthen access to early intervention and prevention services.
o Develop toolkits and culturally adapted training materials for continued community use
beyond the project’s lifespan.
Evidence of Promising Practices for Primary Prevention
Yes, there is strong evidence supporting the effectiveness of primary prevention strategies similar to
those proposed in this project. Some key promising practices include: - The Public Health Approach to Family Violence Prevention (World Health Organization, 2019)
o Recommends multi-sectoral interventions that address social norms, community
engagement, and education-based prevention as the most effective strategies for
reducing family violence. - Engaging Men and Boys as Allies (UN Women, 2022)
o Studies show that programs engaging men and boys in gender equity and healthy
masculinity training significantly reduce rates of intimate partner violence (IPV) and
increase bystander intervention.
o Example: The White Ribbon Campaign has successfully implemented male allyship
programs to prevent gender-based violence. - Culturally Adapted GBV Prevention Programs (Canadian Women’s Foundation, 2021)
o Research confirms that prevention programs tailored to racialized and newcomer
communities have higher success rates than generic approaches.
o Example: “Pathways to Family Peace” was a successful culturally adapted GBV
prevention program for Black and newcomer families in Canada. - Community-Led Approaches (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2020)
o Highlights that community-driven initiatives focusing on education, economic
empowerment, and social cohesion reduce risk factors for family violence by up to 40%
in vulnerable populations.
o Example: “Safe Families, Strong Communities” initiative used peer-led mentorship and
community mobilization to prevent domestic violence among African immigrant
communities.
Conclusion
The project aligns with evidence-based, promising practices that emphasize early intervention,
community-led solutions, and culturally responsive programming. By focusing on educating families,
challenging harmful norms, and strengthening social networks, this initiative will effectively contribute
to preventing family violence before it occurs in Alberta’s Black newcomer communities.